Friday, August 16, 2013

After finishing the whirlwind of energy, learning,
camaraderie and parties that was my 4th consecutive SCBWI conference
since 2010, things are finally sinking in. Every year, I find myself in a
different place in my journey as an illustrator, and the conference experience
has helped me on my way. The more I attend these conferences, the more humbled
I become, being surrounded by a sea of talent.

Illustrators at the 2013 SCBWI Luncheon, 8/4/13

Illustrators are solitary creatures that hole up in our
studios, balancing deadlines and practicing our craft so we often don’t get out
much. Then suddenly—in a span of four action packed days, we take part in a
shared experience with hundreds of like-minded people. We get a chance to view other
visual artists’ portfolios, share our process and concerns - and find out we
are not alone. I find that I learn as much from my fellow SCBWI attendees as
the award-winning authors and illustrators, top editors and agents that speak
to us.

Where else can we learn from the genius of the imaginative illustrators
as David Wiesner, hilarious John Scieszka and Jarrett Krosocza, as well as many
others? Where else can we illustrators get our portfolios in front of top
agents, leading art directors and publishers? I became hooked on the
conferences by my second year of attendance, when I was “discovered” by my
publisher; we have since created three books together - now read by tens of
thousands.

At this year’s illustrator intensive, we had the opportunity
to see where selected illustrators’ work fits into the children’s book market. I
never want to miss the intensives – here is a day devoted just to our concerns.
I felt like we were getting the “insider’s view” of what editors, art directors
and agents really look for in hiring us, where we fit in and it can be very
specific. Still, we were exhorted to break through boundaries, not limit
content and it’s “OK to be scary.” One art director, Giuseppe Castellano, gave
us this entirely refreshing advice, “Don’t focus on genre…. be who you are.”
Oh, and they still want us to send out those postcards to remind them we are
out there.

Scene from Illustrators Intensive, SCBWI Conference 8/5/13

This year I came away with far more focus. I must have an
“original voice” in my work. Fundamental craft, such as drawing skills, trained
use of form and composition, as well as thoughtful choices of color palette are
expected from us as narrative artists. We are challenged now to know our
market—our target audience—and make pictures for them. And it goes beyond that.
In this age of the constant onslaught of stimulation from media, video games
and other unceasing distractions, our artwork must grab attention by providing
extraordinarily unusual points of view, story telling, unexpected perspective
and originality. Illustrators that stand out have a “signature style” that
defines us. And humor, emotion and heart go a long way.

Thank you for reading my account in 500 words or less—now
I’m going to go off and draw.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

At last, my final painting told me: 'Ding!' It's done. I asked my friends on Facebook for suggestions on the title - the working title was The Treat.

Wait for it. Mixed Media Painting By Laura Hoffman

So far, my best friend, Jean Pasco, suggested my favorite so far, which is Wait For It....
which is exactly what these two ladies are doing. The gold is in hand, and it's all about IT, the goal, the treat.

I am getting ready to show new work over the weekend at the annual summer SCBWI conference that begins tomorrow! This painting will be part of the Penelope series.

Lately, being surrounded by wiener dogs (dachshunds) has really affected my choice of subject matter. We paint what we see, what we think about and what we love. This series will end up being part of a book - a work in progress coming to you soon.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

I just received my printed postcards for the upcoming summer Society of Childrens Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) conference. Sometimes, I get nervous when sending artwork out for print.

This time, I am pleasantly surprised - these look great! I used Overnight Prints.

Dust Bunnies is part of the Idiom Series. I have plenty of these guys under my bed and in corners and do my best to capture them before they multiply.

Dust Bunnies has won several awards, including a Certificate of Merit from the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles (SILA West) and an Honorable Mention for the 2013 OC Fair Visual Arts. I will be back at the OC Fair for Judge's Night this Thursday, July 25.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

I was going through my portfolio and found this beginning of an "Action" painting and decided to rework it today. Check out the Easter Egg in the frisbee - I was having fun.

Just realized just about all of my portfolio pieces have animals in them. My love of animals - especially dogs and cats - is spilling over into my work. Being the youngest of three kids, I didn't have the chance to grow up around little children - instead, we always had dogs (dachshunds, can you tell?) and some feral cats as pets, and would draw wiener dogs and cats all over everything. Think I will never outgrow this habit.

Friday, June 28, 2013

I just dropped off artwork to the OC Fair! This year's Fair is on from July 12 - August 11 in Costa Mesa. This year, the competition's tighter now that the competition is open to all of California.
The artwork that got in is called "Dust Bunnies" - a part of the Idiom Series.

Congratulations to my fellow artists and photography students for getting work into this tough juried competition! I can't wait to see everyone's work hanging on the walls at the OC Fair. See you there!

Friday, May 17, 2013

I submitted page 10 from Penny the Rude Penguin, published in 2012. Next, my publisher will be animating Penny and her offended friends. This page shows the repentant Penny getting rescued by her longtime friend, Peter - who ultimately forgives her for being such a mean girl.

Friday, March 8, 2013

My painting of Penelope in was accepted along with other amazing artists into
The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles’ Illustration West 51, which
will be showing at Gallery Nucleus starting this evening at 7:00.

About Me

I am an illustrator, designer and photographer based in southern California. I love to draw and make pictures that add humor, delight & whimsy to life. I’m published in the children’s literature market and in the world of editorial publications and advertising. When I’m not in the studio, I’m teaching photography and design at Saddleback Valley USD Adult Education and 2D Design at CSUF. I’m working on my MFA in art at CSUF, graduating in 2014.